Results 13,161-13,180 of 15,080 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has not employed any quantity surveyors as of 30 January 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Contracts (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Consultancy is defined by the Department of Finance as where a person or organisation provides intellectual or knowledge-based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development. Details as requested by the Deputy are set out below. Consultants enlisted by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Flexible Work Practices (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department is supportive of blended working and was one of the first to introduce a blended working policy. This Policy, developed in line with the Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organizations, offers a varied attendance model, depending on the staff role and business needs. The ability to effectively meet the needs of each business area and ensuring high-quality...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25th...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care. I can confirm that two applications for CA were received from the person concerned on 23 August 2024, in respect of two...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Pension Provisions (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: As the Deputy is aware, a meeting between the then Taoiseach, the then Minister for Social Protection and representatives of the Waterford Crystal Pension Action Group took place in Government Buildings on 13 September 2024. On foot of the meeting, the then Taoiseach asked the Attorney General to advise on the matter. I understand that the advice has been received and is being considered....

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme is Disability Allowance, which is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In addition to the means test, in order to be eligible, the disability must be expected to last for at least one year. The allowance is also subject to a medical assessment and a habitual residency...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn. The purpose of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is to provide financial support to people whose homes are damaged and who are not able to meet costs for essential needs,...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Artificial Intelligence (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department follows the current advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as set out in “Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies” published on 1 June 2023. Artificial Intelligence tools are not currently used in my Department. I can therefore confirm that no funding was allocated or expended in 2024 on artificial intelligence...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Contracts (6 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The details the Deputy has requested for my Department, on consultant services utilised in 2023 and 2024, are set out at the link below. In the interest of openness and transparency my Department publishes detailed financial information on a regular basis, including details of all consultancy payments made by the Department in a given year and what services the payments related to. This...

Response to Storm Éowyn: Motion [Private Members] (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta as a gcuid óráidí inniu. I thank Deputies who have spoken for their engagement in recent weeks on direct cases. That engagement will continue. We are now in the stage where we can look back at the storm and learn lessons from it. Many Deputies have put forward good suggestions this evening, which will be taken on board because,...

Response to Storm Éowyn: Motion [Private Members] (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: I hear his concerns with regard to farming and small businesses in particular. With regard to the humanitarian assistance scheme, to date, the community welfare service of the Department of Social Protection has issued more than 5,000 stage 1 payments, totalling almost €1 million, to people who at the time their application was approved did not have any power or water supply...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement A specific standard was set for School Meals under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My colleague the Minister for Health has lead responsibility for the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024. This complex and far-reaching legislation encompasses the regulation for the first time of a wide range of practices undertaken in this jurisdiction, including domestic altruistic surrogacy, but also provides for the regulation of future surrogacy arrangements undertaken by...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: Following an analysis, it has been established that the first PPSN was issued to the person concerned by the Revenue Commissioners. At that time the number was not registered with my Department to record against the person concerned. As no link existed on my Department's systems with the person concerned, the PPSN was considered available for allocation and was subsequently allocated to...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The Department of Social Protection is available to provide income supports to employees who lose their employment. At present, the main social welfare schemes for jobseekers are the social insurance based Jobseeker's Benefit and the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance. In circumstances where a person has lost days of employment, these schemes provide that a person can work up to 3 days per...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: My Department has tried to make contact with your office to establish the correct PPSN. They were unable to trace the customer accurately without the PPSN. Should you wish to re-submit this question with the correct PPSN we can provide you with an answer.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. My department has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (11 Feb 2025)

Dara Calleary: The person concerned reached pension age on 05 January 2025. An application for State Pension (contributory) was received on 08 January 2025. In general, public servants who joined prior to 6 April 1995 paid modified contributions (B) which are not reckonable for the standard state pension (contributory). However, such employees generally have an occupational pension, the level of which...